The National Specialist Contractors Council (NSCC) has released a report highlighting the increased struggle with recruiting skilled labour.

According to the latest NSCC State of Trade Survey, 47% of Specialist Contractors have experienced increased difficulty in recruiting skilled labour this year compared to 2% who have found it less difficult.

There was a 65% increase in enquiries and a 54% increase in orders for the first quarter of 2015.

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Suppliers' prices are also rising along with demand. 82% of Specialist Contractors reported experiencing higher prices from their suppliers for the second quarter in a row.

The balance of recruitment difficulty has reached its highest level since 2001.

The NSCC states the reason behind this is the low number of applicants with the required skills.

As a result, 28% of survey respondents were unable to bid for work.

NSCC Chief Executive Suzannah Nichol MBE said: "The growing construction market is great news for Specialists Contractors but we need to tackle head-on the skills crisis that is facing the industry.

"If we do not invest in recruiting and training people with the right skills, the industry will not be able to meed demand and this will impact of the wider UK economy."

(LM)